diff --git a/src/core/config/CMakeLists.txt b/src/core/config/CMakeLists.txt
index daf9a791..dc30d259 100644
--- a/src/core/config/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/core/config/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@ SET(CLIENT_RAND_BACKOFF_TSTART  "3"          CACHE STRING "Lower limit of client
 SET(CLIENT_RAND_BACKOFF_TEND    "8"          CACHE STRING "Upper limit of client's backoff phase in seconds")
 SET(CLIENT_RETRY_COUNT          "3"          CACHE STRING "Client's number of reconnect retries")
 SET(CLIENT_JOB_REQUEST_SEC      "30"         CACHE STRING "Time in seconds a client tries to get work for (to reduce client/server communication frequency)")
+SET(CLIENT_JOB_INITIAL          "1"          CACHE STRING "Initial amount of jobs to request")
 SET(CLIENT_JOB_LIMIT            "1000"       CACHE STRING "How many jobs can a client ask for")
 
 configure_file(${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/FailConfig.hpp.in
diff --git a/src/core/config/FailConfig.hpp.in b/src/core/config/FailConfig.hpp.in
index 78fbe3c3..ab64f6cc 100644
--- a/src/core/config/FailConfig.hpp.in
+++ b/src/core/config/FailConfig.hpp.in
@@ -43,6 +43,7 @@
 #define CLIENT_RETRY_COUNT              @CLIENT_RETRY_COUNT@
 #define CLIENT_JOB_REQUEST_SEC          @CLIENT_JOB_REQUEST_SEC@
 #define CLIENT_JOB_LIMIT                @CLIENT_JOB_LIMIT@
+#define CLIENT_JOB_INITIAL              @CLIENT_JOB_INITIAL@
 #define PROJECT_VERSION                 "@PROJECT_VERSION@"
 #define FAIL_VERSION PROJECT_VERSION
 
diff --git a/src/core/efw/JobClient.cc b/src/core/efw/JobClient.cc
index 01f673f2..e4a2c6c1 100644
--- a/src/core/efw/JobClient.cc
+++ b/src/core/efw/JobClient.cc
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ JobClient::JobClient(const std::string& server, int port)
 	m_server_runid = 0; // server accepts this for virgin clients
 	m_job_total = 0;
 	m_job_runtime_total = 0;
-	m_job_throughput = 1; // client gets only one job at the first request
+	m_job_throughput = CLIENT_JOB_INITIAL; // will be corrected after measurement
 	m_connect_failed = false;
 }